John Peel Wiki

Changes to the look of John Peel Wiki will take place in the near future due to a new skin being rolled out over Oct/Nov across Wikia. Please see the Wikia Staff Blog for further details. On this site, the changes will affect the navigation from the left menu, as well as introduce a fixed page width with narrower content space. Please be patient while adjustments are made for the switch to the new system.

UPDATE: As the change is now in force for some users, I have switched the navigation to the simplified one for the new system. Please check Navigation in the Help section if you can't find things. I also initially made small adjustments to the front page layout, but have now reverted to the old look until all users are on the new system.

COUNTDOWN: Just a reminder for people still using Monaco that the final switch to the new skin is due on Nov. 3. After that, it will no longer be offered as an option. Sorry. Nothing to do with me.

Steve W

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John Peel Wiki
Woodentops

The Woodentops are a British indie band that enjoyed critical acclaim and moderate popularity in the mid-1980s. The band formed in 1983 in South London with an initial line-up of Rolo McGinty (vocals, guitar, formerly of The Wild Swans), Simon Mawby (guitar), Alice Thompson (keyboards), Frank DeFreitas (bass guitar), and Benny Staples replacing Paul Hookham (drums).

After a debut single, "Plenty" on Food Records in 1984, which received a glowing review from Morrissey in Melody Maker, they signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records, releasing a series of singles in 1985 and their debut album, Giant, in 1986.

The band then became more experimental and frenetic when playing live, using more electronic sounds.  The Woodentops continued to play live, touring the world until 1992, and then singer Rolo McGinty resurfaced as a DJ called Pluto in the 1990s, and with Rob Miller for the Dogs Deluxe electronica project. He also provided vocals for Gary Lucas's, Gods and Monsters. Guitarist Simon Mawby was briefly a member of The House of Love in the early 1990s.

The Woodentops returned to live performances in September 2006 and, in October 2009, they performed in a special concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London's South Bank. They also curated the events in the Front Room of the same theatre with an exhibition of works by artist Panni Bharti, and concerts by musicians Worm, Othon and Ernesto Tomasini.

Links to Peel[]

The Woodentops did many sessions for the BBC including those with Janice Long, Simon Mayo and John Peel. In an 2007 interview with Penny Black Music, singer Rolo McGinty explained that his best sessions were with Peel:

"The ones that really meant a lot to me were the three sessions we did for John Peel. I was a John Peel under-the-pillow listener. His voice was part of my teenage life and I heard many a thing I grew to love first time on John Peel." [1]

Listeners in 1985 on Peel shows also voted couple of the Woodentops songs at the Festive Fifty.

Festive Fifty Entries[]

Sessions[]

THE_WOODENTOPS_John_Peel_8th_September_1984

THE WOODENTOPS John Peel 8th September 1984

1. Recorded: 1984-09-08. Broadcast: 19 September 1984. Repeated: 03 October 1984, 05 November 1984, 28 May 1985. "Well Well" & "Everything Breaks" available on The BBC Sessions Renascent REN CD 21

  • Get It On / Well Well / Everything Breaks / The Last Time

2. Recorded: 1985-08-27. Broadcast: 09 September 1985. Repeated: 22 October 1985. Available on The BBC Sessions Renascent REN CD 21

  • It Will Come / Plenty / So Good Today / Plutonium Rock (Godzilla)

3. Recorded: 1986-03-30. Broadcast: 07 April 1986. Repeated: 23 April 1986, 19 May 1986. Available on The BBC Sessions Renascent REN CD 21

  • Give It Time / Move Me / Special Friend / Have You Seen The Lights

Live[]

  1. Do It Anyway
  2. The Last Time
  3. Everything Breaks
  4. Good Thing

Other Shows Played[]

Plenty

Plenty

1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
  • 18 January 1988: You Make Me Feel (LP – Wooden Foot Cops On The Highway) Rough Trade
  • 23 January 1988 (BFBS): You Make Me Feel (LP – Wooden Foot Cops On The Highway) Rough Trade
  • 26 January 1988: You Can Make Me Feel (7" - You Make Me Feel / Stop This Car) Rough Trade
  • 02 February 1988: You Make Me Feel (7") Rough Trade
  • 29 February 1988: Maybe It Won't Last (LP - Wooden Foot Cops On The Highway) Rough Trade
  • 02 March 1988: They Can Say What They Want (LP - Wooden Foot Cops On The Highway) Rough Trade
  • 04 March 1988 (BFBS): Maybe It Won't Last (album - Wooden Foot Cops On The Highway) Rough Trade
  • 15 March 1988: Tuesday Wednesday (LP - Wooden Foot Cops On The Highway) Rough Trade
  • 04 April 1988: They Can Say What They Want (LP - Wooden Foot Cops On The Highway) Rough Trade
  • 06 April 1988: Heaven (LP - Wooden Foot Cops On The Highway) Rough Trade
1989
1990
  • 14 August 1990: 'Move Me (7")' (Rough Trade) (JP: 'A somewhat crucial record, in its own way.')
1991
  • 29 September 1991: Stay Out Of The Light (Peoples mix) (12") Hyperactive (JP: "They're not the perky popsters of yesteryear, are they?")
  • 11 October 1991 (BFBS): Stay Out Of The Light (Peoples mix) (12") Hyperactive
Pluto (Rolo McGinty)
  • 04 February 1995: Free To Run (v/a album - Global Technological Innovations: UK 1) New Electronica
Dogs Deluxe (Rolo McGinty & Rob Miller)

See Also[]

External Links[]